Head Gasket - Repair Sealant (K-Seal)

[paul_GB]

Hi.. has anyone use 'K-Seal' Head Gasket Repair?
Its an additive (to the coolant system) that supposedly seals head gasket leaks, cracks etc. I have a head gasket that is leaking a small amount of water down the FIP side of the block (at the rear). I need to drive the car to the garage (about 100 miles) for the repair soon and wondered if adding this stuff will help to stop any further damage to the ali head during the drive. OR.. is it simply a bad idea to have this stuff in the cooling system??
Thanks...

Paul

[stickandrudderman]

It’s not a bad idea, it’s a terrible one!

[Tyler S]

Paul, You would be better off paying for a 100 mile tow than having to pay to repair the radiator, heater core, and cooling passages after the “sealer” plugs them solid.

[paul_GB]

Okay.. much appreciated guys. I won't use the stuff. I was hesitant anyway.
Paul

[merrill]

Paul
hi
I had coolant stains on the injection pump side of my block as well.

Joe Alexander talked me thru replacing the head gasket myself.   In the end it was not that hard of a job.

Matt

[Benz Dr.]

190SL's are famous for this. Almost every one I've seen will weep a bit after a rebuild and then they seem to seal up after a bit of driving. Not so common on our engines so it points to a bad head gasket. I would check the block surface for any warping as well as the head.

[mbzse]

Just a pointer; a part of maintaining our half-century old cars is to re-torque the head bolts with some three years interval.
This serves to maintain the grip and compression that the head bolts perform onto the head gasket.
Read about this procedure in the Workshop manual (BBB)
(Re-torque procedure corresponds to final torque after installing a new gasket, see each engine type M127/M129/M130E)

[MikeSimon]

I know there have been discussions about this, but what is the final verdict?: When you service the head and take it off and reinstall, do you replace the head bolts or not? Assuming you have a late serial-no engine.

[ja17]

These are not stretch-type bolts on our engines. Replacement is not required. Wire brush clean the threads, run a tap in the threaded holes in the block. blow everything clean. Lubricate the bolts and threads as specified in the BBB and torque to specs.

[Rick]

Are there other issues that are occuring and require the head to be worked on?   Is this a very small "seepy" kind of leak?
If there are no other issues, overheating, valves, etc and the leak is a very small seepy kind of leak, you can put GM tablets into the system.

https://www.google.com/search?q=gm+radiator+sealant+tablets&oq=gm+radiator+sealan&aqs=chrome.0.0j69i57.7805j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

GM installs this into many of their engines when new.  It is a totally benign seal consisting of fine ground walnut shells.   It washes away when you flush the radiator fluid without an issue.  I have used this on several cars, including the 190SL which has an issue with a "seepy" coolant leak between the block and head, and no other issues.  It has been in the car for 15 years now and it totally stopped its long term head leak. The package comes with several tablets.  I start by only putting in two tablets

[Benz Dr.]

Some people like Scotch and I look at like it like it's paint remover. Maybe not a fair comparison but some of these things really are snake oil and some of it really works. If you can find something that really works, without compromising adjacent systems, then use it. The main question, of course, is knowing if it's OK to use before you use it.

[Kevkeller]

Or you can always try saw dust. We used that on ships.  I don't think it will damage anything.